Guillotine

The Menu meets Ready or Not in this dark tale of opulent luxury and shocking violence from the New York Times bestselling author of Bloom.

Thrift fashionista Dez Lane doesn't want to date Patrick Ruskin; she just wants to meet his mother, the editor-in-chief of Nouveau magazine. When he invites her to his family's big Easter reunion at their ancestral home, she's certain she can put up with his arrogance and fend off his advances long enough to ask Marie Caulfield-Ruskin for an internship someone with her pedigree could never nab through the regular submission route.

When they arrive at the enormous island mansion, Dez is floored—she's never witnessed how the 1% lives before in all their ridiculous, unnecessary luxury. But once all the family members are on the island and the ferry has departed, things take a dark turn. For decades, the Ruskins have made their servants sign contracts that are basically indentured servitude, and with nothing to lose, the servants have decided their only route to freedom is to get rid of the Ruskins for good…

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Published Sep 10, 2024

208 pages

Average rating: 8.35

40 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

BMC
Aug 15, 2025
8/10 stars
Monsieur Guillotin would be horrified, but I was entertained.
b00krabbit
Mar 02, 2026
7/10 stars
If you're looking for a fast-paced horror that revolves around revenge and schadenfreude, then get a copy of Guillotine for your next read! It will help get you out of any reading slump! It's described as "The Menu meets Ready or Not" which is spot on. After I finished the book I felt rejuvenated from the satisfying ending but also disgusted by the lot of irredeemable supporting characters. I plan to read other books written by Delilah S. Dawson now. BASICALLY... Dez, our FMC with her own agenda, tags along with her new fling Patrick to his disgustingly wealthy family's private island, only to realize she is surrounded by entitled, vile, backstabbing people she instantly despises. What starts as a chance to meet her idol (Patrick’s mom) quickly descends into an excruciating, relentless game of retribution where no one is safe.
Anne-Marie Eberhardt
Jul 02, 2025
10/10 stars
Not for the squeamish, but fantastic!

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